Goodbye
by Ice Godess
Summary: The Hokage had proclaimed it an accident, but the villagers still didn’t trust me. Villagers stayed close to the shinobi, and all kept a wide berth of me. And I didn’t blame them. slight ItachiSakura


'_The words I write on this page will be my last to you. I will not tell you what I'm doing, for you might try to track me down, or you might follow my path. It truly is better like this. Where I go now, you cannot follow, for it is too dangerous. I know where I'm going, and they will accept me. These past few weeks, I've only been stared at in fear, like I'm going to do the same thing to them. I refuse to be treated like trash. I'm leaving this note, only so you don't come after me. Because if you manage to find me, it will only hurt you, not me.'_

I sighed and looked at what I had written so far. It sucked. I had never been good at writing people things, especially this. I was about to betray my village to go live with Akatsuki. I had first considered betraying my village when it first happened. But I figured it would all blow over soon. The Hokage had proclaimed it an accident, but the villagers here believe that I would do the same. It all happened two months ago, on a rainy night…

I sighed as I whipped the rain away from my eyes again. I had just left the hospital, and it decided to rain harder. When I had left for work in the morning, I didn't think I would need an umbrella. The sky had been clear. Boy was I wrong. I just kept walking, not bothering to hurry. I was socked anyway. And something about the rain was comforting.

My foot stopped mid-step as I heard something rustling in the bushes. I didn't scene any trained chakra, so I figured it was a wild animal or a small child. So I ignored it, only to have to throw myself down a second later to avoid several shuriken, kunai, and sebon needles.

On instinct, I rolled back up, and threw three kunai of my own, aiming for the three chakra figures. I hit everyone. I picked up the missed weapons, and pocketed them till I could dispose of them properly. Who knew, they could have a tracing jutsu in them. After I had collected all the weapons, I went to find the bodies I had attacked. From the way their chakra's had suddenly flared up and then died, I'd say them were dead or about to be dead. I walked threw the bushes following the path my kunai had only minutes before. Once I found the bodies, I looked for the head bands, only to fall back in shock. I landed hard in the bushes I had just walked threw, but I felt none of the pain. My eyes widened in horror as I saw the faces of the three people I had just killed. They weren't enemy shinobi at all. They weren't even shinobi. They were civilians, all of them children. They couldn't of been more than five or six years old. What were they doing with shinobi weapons? Why couldn't I tell? I'm not an animal, I have a mind to listen to, so I didn't have to go on instincts. A shrill scream ran threw the night air, and it took several minutes for me to realize it was mine. I took another look at the children, the kunai buried in their chest, their eyes wide with shock and fear, and then everything went black for me.

I shook my head violently, clearing the memories of that night. The Hokage had proclaimed it an accident, but the villagers still didn't trust me. Villagers stayed close to the shinobi, and all kept a wide berth of me. And I didn't blame them. I had been training under Tsunade for two years now, and I was almost her equal in strength. But I still couldn't bear the accusing looks from family and friends of the kids, and every shinobi no longer spoke to me. Out of the rookie nine, none talked to me any more, not even Lee. Sasuke had left to join Orochimaru, and Naruto still wasn't back from his training with Jiraiya. Even Kakashi stayed away, but he did give me a small wave when we passed, but he didn't say anything.

Several times I considered suicide, but every time Naruto's smiling face came up, and I broke down in tears.

So I took the glares, and the people crossing to another side of the street for a month. Then, I just locked myself in my apartment. I came out once a week for food, but I stayed inside every other time. I didn't go to training with either of my sensei's, nor did I go train on my own. The one time I went out other than for food, was two weeks ago, a month and a half after the proclaimed accident. It was midnight, and a night of a full moon…

I sat in a tree outside the gates of Konoha. It was against the rules, but I was past listening to the rules. My eyes were open, looking at the moon, but not seeing. I turned to my thoughts, how good it felt to be in fresh air, without receiving glares from anyone. I was almost asleep on my perch, when I felt someone perched in front of me. I kept my arms folded in my lap, and slowly opened my eyes. I was greeted by red and black sharingan eyes. My first thought was Sasuke, but the thought was quickly banished as my eyes found the long black hair, with no traces of Sasuke's usual blue anywhere. My eyes moved to the headband, with the line threw it, down to the black clock with red clouds, and the straw hat clutched loosely in his fingernail painted hand.

"Itachi." I nodded my head at him. I was scared. If he killed me, it would be the end I needed. A shinobi death at the hands of an S-class criminal, but the release I needed from all the accusing stares of the villagers of Konoha.

He said nothing to me, just looked me up and down. I was in my night clothes, which consisted of black satin shorts and tank-top, and my headband was left back in the apartment.

"I remember you from somewhere."

I almost fell out of the tree at his remark. Of all things he could of said or done, it was far off my radar. As far as him getting up and doing the hokie pokie. I couldn't help it. The stress from over the weeks, to all of a sudden imagining Itachi dancing the hokie pokie, made me burst into laughter. I laughed till I cried, and even hyperventilating. I could barely breath by the time I stopped laughing. I just looked at Itachi, and him staring at me with one eyebrow raised, almost sent me into another fit of giggles. But I took a deep breath and settled on smiling till my cheeks hurt.

"I'm sorry," I breathed when I finally could again, "I guess I finally cracked." I wasn't about to tell an S-class criminal I just imagined him dancing to a stupid song he probably didn't even know.

He just looked at me, asking the question again with his eyes, this time less nice.

"I grew up in Konoha. I'm the same age as Sasuke. We passed each other a few times when you brought Sasuke to the academy."

I saw the recognition in his eyes, and him also look at my pink hair, for which I was named after.

"You have me at a disadvantage. You know me, but I can't seem to remember your name."

I smiled gently, and looked up at the moon who still smiled down on me. Who knew I'd be having a conversation with the infamous Uchiha, and one that didn't involve me at the end of a kunai knife. I almost smirked at the irony of life.

"Haruno Sakura."

He stretched out his hand, the one not holding his hat, and I gladly shook it.

"Uchiha Itachi."

He may be an S-class criminal, but who said he didn't have any manners?

"Any reason you're out here at night without any weapons?"

Any more questions from him and I would fall out of this tree. I smiled at him then told him everything. From the time I killed the children, to the pain I felt, to how I ran and hid, to why I decided to come out that night. He said nothing at the end of my tail, only set his hat behind him on the tree limb, and then picked up my two hands in his. He ran his calloused ones over mine, on my palms, before turning them over and running them over my knuckles and up my fingers till he reached each tip. He did this twice, once with each hand. He than looked at me, keeping both my hands in his.

"I cannot find the blood of innocents on these hands. Only hands that wish to heal."

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped as all the air rushed out of my lungs. Tears welded in my eyes, and soon, I threw myself at his chest. He almost fell off the tree limb, we both did, but he was able to steady us both. When I threw myself at him he let go of my hands to steady us, and my free hands wrapped around his neck. I sobbed gently into his shoulder for awhile. Sometime before I stopped crying, he moved and put his arms around my waist, patting me awkwardly. Once my tears finally ran out, I pulled back from him, letting my hands fall back to my lap, but his stayed around my waist. It was a nice feeling. I hadn't been touched for several months. He sighed once, then began talking to me.

"I offer you something that has never been offered to anyone before. I offer that you come with me, and stay at the Akatsuki base. Not as a member, but as our medic-nin. We won't have much use for your skills, but you could still come. Our organization is only filled with murder, but no one would dare harm you, physical or verbal. You would be safer with us than Konoha."

Safer with a group of S-class criminals, who like to kill? I should of rejected immediately. Should of left. I shouldn't of even had this conversation with him. But here I was, considering betraying my home, my family, and my friends. As crazy as it all seamed, it also seamed right. The way Itachi's hands held my waist, and the way his promise echoed in my mind seamed to make it worth it.

"Don't make your choice now. I'll be back in two weeks, on the night of the new moon. Meet me here with your decision."

He removed his hands off my waist, placed his hat on his head, gave me a small, gentle kiss on the lips, and then disappeared. I fingered my lips in wonder, before heading back to my apartment.

I fingered them now as I remembered that night. Tonight was the new moon, and I was leaving Konoha forever. Somehow it didn't feel right to just leave, and I wanted to leave for them. Well, at least Naruto. He deserved to know what happened. I grabbed a sheet of paper, and started writing, addressing it to Naruto. I told him what happened, and how everyone treated me, knowing he would blow up. He had been subject to the same torture. I explained to him that I understood people's fear, and that where I went was safe. I asked him to not come find me, asked him to promise. I told him he didn't have to search for Sasuke for me anymore, the people I was with would probably find him first, or that Sasuke would find them first. At the end, I didn't sign it 'your friend' or 'I love you.' I simply put 'Thank you. And I'm sorry. Sakura.'

I was satisfied and placed it in an envelope, with Naruto's name written on it. I placed a picture next to it, one with all of us together. I wanted him to have it.

I finally looked up, only to be greeted by night. I had started writing at noon, and now it was almost midnight. Sighing, I picked up my small bag with all of my stuff, and walked to the gates, and to Itachi.

He was there, as promised, staring up at the spot where the moon was two weeks ago. Seeing him, after being surrounded by the hateful faces of Konoha, made the tears well up and fall. I dropped my bag, and ran to him. His back was to me, but that was okay. I buried my face in his hair, my arms tightening around his stomach. He said nothing, just laid one hand over one of mine as he continued to stare up at the sky. After a time of silence, he asked one question.

"Does this mean you're coming?"

"Yes." I barely managed to chock out. I finally let go, reluctant to let go of his warmth. I grabbed my bag and fell into step beside him. He took the bag from me, and swung it over his shoulder. I smiled at him, my first real one in two weeks.

"Thank you Itachi." I said. We both knew it was for more than just carrying my bag.

I followed him till we got to the field where Team 7 has its first training with the bells. I stopped in the middle of the field, by the pole Naruto was tied to. I watched the memories of Team 7 flash by, tears running down my cheeks. I took off my headband, and ran a kunai across it. I cut my bonds to Konoha, now and forever. I looked over the trees and caught a glimpse of the Hokage's tower.

"I'm sorry. And goodbye."

I turned my back on Konoha, whipping the tears away, and continued on with Itachi.

I never once looked back.

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Well, that's what you get when you put me on a nine hour plane flight, and for three hours everyone is sleeping but me. Review, I'd like to know what you think.

Thanks.


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